Chainsaw competition event draws hundreds
The first annual Sandy Invitational Chainsaw Carving competition, held on August 26, 2023, was a huge success; it’s only September and we can hardly wait for the next one!
From even before the first “R-rrun, run, run” sound of chainsaws starting up, to the final judging, the atmosphere was one of anticipation and excitement. Big equipment brought logs cut to length for carvers to evaluate and claim, then moved the logs to the carvers’ fenced areas as needed. Some carvers brought their own choice of woods, including a piece of cedar more than a thousand years old.
More than 600 people visited the event spearheaded by the nonprofit Trajectory CEO Austin Ernesti and supported by many people and organizations in our area. Oregon State University timbersport team members gave demonstrations and coached visitors who wanted to try their hand at forestry skills. Walking tree tours of Sandy were available with informative “tree tags”. Clackamas Fire District brought a fire truck, gave demonstrations, and gave presentations on home protection and forest fire prevention. The Sandy High School Forestry Club and other volunteers were helping everywhere, it seemed.
As machines and participants warmed up, the weather heated up as well. Carving continued throughout the day with a brief interruption for a separate “quick carve” from 1 to 2 p.m., with results later auctioned. The ten carvers included Brittny Hughes, Chris Young, Ryan Anderson, Johnny “Chainsaw” Kimball, Tyler R. Strauslin, Wade Lapp, Kyle Christopherson, Leroy Bodine, Cody Gross, and Chris Foltz. Some were seasoned experts and some relative newbies, but as the sole woman carver, Brittny Hughes, commented, “Carvers are like a family. We all help each other.”
Judges included some of the best-known names in area manufacturing and logging industries. Adolph Hertrich’s leadership built Vanport Manufacturing into a major force in our economy, Wayne Stone is an early supporter of Trajectory and owner of Wayne Stone Logging, Carl Exner is a Sandy city councilman, and Natalie Brett, a Sandy High School junior, is a member of the High School Forestry Club.
First place winner and crowd favorite was Chris Foltz with his eagle in a tree with a bear on the lower rocks sculpture. This was no surprise though, as Foltz won last year’s World Ice Carving Championship in Alaska. Ryan Anderson won second place for his large rhinoceros head, and Tyler Strauslin’s intricately carved roosting eagle won the
vote as the youth favorite.
A timber carnival atmosphere prevailed over carving sales, loudspeaker announcements, vendors, refreshments, and our museum’s 2023 raffle quilt (“Garden Party” by Shirley Crow) with ongoing ticket sales, beauty pageant winners for Mrs. Estacada and Mrs. Molalla, live music, the periodic splashing of the tempting water in the log-rolling pool, ax throwing, choker setting, cable splicing, double bucksaw slicing, and throughout all the refreshing smell of cedar and other tree woods. The forestry focus reminded everyone of community roots: 100 years of early logging history that built this area.
This event promotes public awareness of the complexity of Oregon forests and their relevance to our community, history, economy, and ecology.
For more information, to volunteer with Trajectory, or to help in another way, please contact austin.e@trajectorynw.org .
